Hiding Behind False Eyes (A Ben Bruce Love Story.... Kind of.)

Chapter Three- You Couldn't Hurt Me If You Tried

“146 Eckhart avenue please,” Alyssa told the driver. The boys would be crashing at Alyssa’s for the night so they wouldn’t have to face their tour manager, and I would be, too. But it was only six o’clock; we’d have to keep them busy ‘til it was actually time for bed. I had a feeling Lyss and her tiny shorts would be keeping one of them busy after bedtime as well.

When we reached Alyssa’s apartment we all hopped out of the cab. I watched with a small smile as James helped Danny stumble out of the vehicle and into the building.

As we walked through the hall I felt a hot breath on my shoulder. “Hey, do you mind if I borrow your phone? I have to text our manager really quick,” said Ben. He didn’t wait for an answer, just put his arms around my waist and slid his hand down to where my phone was in my pocket. He pulled it out slowly and put it in his own pocket.

“Ben!”

I tried to say it indignantly to cover up the butterflies in my stomach, but it just came out quietly. “Do you WANT the boys to tease us for the rest of the night?”

“If that’s what it takes,” he said with a wink, then fell back to walk beside Cam, pulling out my phone. I shook my head. I had watched all the interviews and read all the reports, and if they had told me anything it was that Ben Bruce, not to mention the rest of the band, had a “See, fuck, move on” policy. Nope, that wouldn’t be me. If any of the boys were to care about me, it would be for more than just 30 seconds. With Lyss I wasn’t so sure.

“Welcome to the apartment,” said Alyssa, opening the door. The boys walked in, and Danny threw his jacket on the couch. Lyss met this with a frown.

“Look, our faces are on the wall,” said Danny with his distinctive grin, pointing at the Asking Alexandria poster that was tacked up in the living room. He was always one to remind himself of their fame.

Most of the boys sat down on the couch, but Ben walked straight to the fridge. He opened it up and peered inside; I silently admired the tattoos on his arms. He seemed to find what he was looking for, and pulled out two six-packs of beer and a bottle of Bacardi. Alyssa looked at me, clearly wondering how long it would take for the situation to get out of hand.

“I know what we’ll be doing for the rest of the night,” he said with a wicked grin, and tossed the band each a can of beer. Danny was so drunk that he completely missed catching the beer, and it hit the floor and rolled under the couch.

“Ben, you fuckin’ wanker, you know my reaction time is shit when I’m drunk,” said Danny, frowning.

I laughed and retrieved the beer can, then handed it to Danny. “Thanks babe,” he said with a wink.

Ben was playing around with my phone. “You keep getting texts that say ‘happy birthday.’ Is it…?” he asked, before handing the phone back to me.

“My birthday? It’s actually tomorrow, but for most of my friends midnight counts as tonight,” I said.

“May I ask how old you are?” Sam asked, and I realized that the band looked quite interested.

“I’ll be eighteen, same age as Lyss,” I said.

“Well happy early birthday, then!” said James, raising his beer in a toast. The rest of the band followed.

Ben pulled me down to sit on his lap and cracked me a beer. “How bout we tell you some tour stories, love?”

I nodded and Danny started to tell a story about a signing where a kid had asked him to carve his name into his neck with a knife. Then Cameron and Sam piped up and told some stories, and we all ended up on the floor laughing, possibly due to the fact that by now we were all quite drunk.

James had the idea to play Uno, and halfway through the game we noticed that Danny had been stealing people’s cards and hiding them in his pants.

“Danny! All through high school there was a rumor that you stuffed socks down your trousers, but now we know the truth!” exclaimed Ben. James tried to reach down Danny’s pants to get the cards back but Danny stood up and ran out the door. James and Cam took off after him, leaving the rest of us giggling on the couch. I was still sitting on Ben.

When they finally came back in, the cards had been retrieved but Danny had left his pants behind. He walked in wearing his boxers, with James and Cam in tow.

Lyss checked the time. “It’s eleven,” she said. “Just an hour ‘til your birthday, Rain.” She smiled at me.

“That’s enough time to bake you a cake,” said Danny with a drunken grin. Danny, Cameron and Sam walked over to the kitchen with Lyss and she showed them where to find the bowls. She tried giving them a recipe book, but Danny refused to take it. “Recipes are for pussies. We make our own rules!”

“What a badass,” said Alyssa, rolling her eyes.

“I’m helping!” cried James. “Ben, get Rain out of here and don’t let her in until it’s midnight.”

Ben gave my hand a squeeze and I felt my face grow hot at his touch. It suddenly brought back the feeling of the kiss from earlier, and now I knew I was blushing. I stood up and let Ben lead me outside.

We sat down on a low concrete wall near the apartments. Neither of us said anything, but our fingers were still intertwined. I suddenly had to ask him something.

“Ben… could you sing for me?”

Ben blinked. “What?”

“Sing. You know, the part from Not the American Average.”

Ben paused, and tipped my chin up. “Only because it’s your birthday,” he said, smiling. He grabbed my other hand and started to sing. In that moment, I swore he was an angel.

One step too late, and I never told you

That I can’t take another disappointment

Breathing and grasping all leads to another messy ending

Breathing and grasping all leads to another messy ending.

I smiled, my eyes fluttering open. “Not as good as it was on the CD,” I teased.

Ben laughed and gave me a shove. “Shut up.”

I giggled, looking up at Ben’s perfect wavy hair.

“Rain…?”

“Yes?”

“I wrote that part. It’s because things have happened with girls… that I wouldn’t want to have happen again. Rain… can you promise me something?”

I nodded, looking into his eyes.

“Can you promise me this won’t be another messy ending?”

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WOAH it's getting deeeeeep. Next chapter should be up soon, and I made this one a bit longer since my last two were very tiny :3 Hope y'all keep reading because the plot thickens and the boys make a very, shall we say... interesting cake for Rain. Goodnight, or morning, or afternoon, or... well, have a good whatever time it is in your corner of teh universe <3

SO... I have decided to continue writing only when I get two, yes, TWO, more votes. I know, way to dig deep. Well I guess you could say I'm starting small, but I really want this to succeed so... what are you waiting for?! If you want more, you know where to click, and it would really make my day :D Good day you sexies c: